"Actovegin" - an extract taken from calf blood protein, refers to drugs with a wide spectrum of action. The medication has a nootropic and stimulating effect on the human body. It is used for metabolic and vascular changes in the brain (neuralgic disorders), as well as for other diseases. The drug is absolutely safe for children, it does not have serious side effects on the body, the drug is recommended to all patients who have a list of pharmacological properties. Why is "Actovegin" prescribed in ampoules?
Release form
Actovegin is available in the following forms:
The solution is usually used in the treatment of neurological diseases. The composition of Actovegin injections includes the following components:
- calf blood extract (deproteinized hemoderivative) ;
- water;
- sodium chloride.
The drug is available in different dosages:
- injections of 400 milligrams, in a package of 5 ampoules of 10 milliliters;
- a solution of 200 milligrams, in a package of 5 ampoules of 5 milliliters;
- a solution of 80 milligrams, in a package of 25 ampoules of 2 milliliters.
All ampoules are placed in a plastic container. The color of the solution is yellow with various shades, the saturation of the color does not affect the effectiveness of the drug.
In rare cases, when taking the medicine, pain may occur associated with an increase in secretion. Therapy must be stopped if the pain persists, but there is no effect.
Pharmacological actions
The drug, getting inside, carries out its action by enhancing the metabolic decay process, decomposition into simpler substances. It increases oxygen processing, thereby enhancing resistance to oxygen starvation (the state of the body in which the normal supply of oxygen to the brain is disrupted). The drug in the form of a solution quickly penetrates the circulatory system, spreading the active substance throughout the body, which explains its quick result.
Actovegin has been on the pharmaceutical market for more than thirty years, and the responses about this drug are extremely positive both from the patients themselves and from the doctors, which means that there is no reason to consider the medicine ineffective in treating diseases. Actovegin can be administered intraarterially, intravenously and intramuscularly.
Indications
According to the instructions for use, Actovegin ampoules can be used in the presence of the following diseases:
- diabetes mellitus (endocrine disease due to a lack of the hormone insulin in the body or its low biological activity);
- ischemic stroke (cerebrovascular accident with damage to brain tissue, impaired function due to difficulty or cessation of blood flow to a particular department);
- hypoxia (low oxygen content in the body or individual organs and tissues);
- traumatic brain injury;
- problems in blood supply;
- metabolic disorders;
- varicose veins (veins expand, the valves are not able to distill the blood, due to which there is a gradual violation of the entire blood flow in the human body);
- imbalance of vascular tone (vegetovascular dystonia - a complex of functional disorders, which is based on a violation of the regulation of vascular tone of the autonomic nervous system).
- treatment of hemorrhagic stroke;
- encephalopathy (chronic brain hypoxia as a result of exposure to various pathological factors);
- trophic damage;
- wounds of various genesis;
- ulcerative skin lesions;
- pressure sores;
- damage to the mucous membranes and skin, provoked by radiation damage.
The drug is effective in healing burns and wounds. “Actovegin” injections have no contraindications, but it is not recommended to use them in case of allergic reactions.
Instructions for use
Ampoules "Actovegin" administered intravenously drip or stream. How to use the drug?
Before injecting the drug into a vein, it is necessary to dissolve the drug in a solution of sodium hydrochloride 0.9 or in a five percent glucose solution. The maximum daily dosage of Actovegin is 2000 milligrams of dry or 250 milliliters of the drug.
For intravenous administration, the dose of Actovegin is from five to twenty milliliters per day.
For intramuscular administration, the dosage of Actovegin in ampoules of 5 ml per day, the procedure is slow.
After examining the patient’s condition, he selects the required dose. The initial amount of the drug is from five to ten milliliters intramuscularly or intravenously. In the future, five milliliters (several times a day) daily for one week.
In severe cases of the disease, it is recommended to use the drug intravenously in a dosage of twenty to fifty milliliters per day for three days.
With an exacerbation of some chronic diseases of moderate severity, the drug is prescribed intravenously or intramuscularly from five to twenty milliliters for two weeks. The dosage is selected only by the doctor.
If it is necessary to conduct a planned course of treatment, then Actovegin can be prescribed in a dose of two to five milliliters per day in any way. The duration of the course is from four to six weeks.
The number of introductions should be from one to three times. The multiplicity varies from the severity of the disease.
For the treatment of patients with a complicated form of diabetes, it is better to start the administration of Actovegin intravenously. Dosage in this situation will be two milliliters per day, the duration of therapy is twenty-one days.
Side effects
Given the numerous reviews, Actovegin injections are well tolerated by patients. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock and allergic reactions can occur. According to the instructions for use, Actovegin ampoules sometimes cause the following adverse reactions:
- Soreness at the injection site.
- Pain in the head.
- Feeling dizzy.
- General weakness in the body.
- The appearance of trembling.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea.
- Cutting in the abdomen.
- Feeling of nausea.
- Tachycardia (heart palpitations).
- Sudden blanching of the skin.
- Rash over the body.
- Itchy skin.
- Hot flashes.
- Angioedema edema.
- Joint pain or muscle pain.
- Acrocyanosis (bluish skin color associated with insufficient blood supply to the small capillaries. For circulatory disorders, cyanosis is expressed in the most distant parts of the body from the heart: fingers and toes, nose, lips, auricles).
- A decrease or, conversely, an increase in blood pressure.
- Soreness in the lumbar region.
- Paresthesia (one of the types of sensitivity disorder, characterized by numbness, tingling sensations, creeping creeps).
- Excited state.
- Choking (a serious condition characterized by a lack of air and a fear of death).
- Trouble breathing.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Sore throat.
- Squeezing in chest.
- Pain in the heart.
- Temperature rise.
- Increased sweating.
Features of the drug
"Actovegin" in ampoules is hypertonic, therefore, intramuscular injection should not exceed five milliliters.
There is a risk of anaphylaxis (an allergic reaction of an immediate type, a state of sharply increased sensitivity of the body that develops with repeated administration of the allergen). To minimize this condition, you need to conduct a test for the perception of the drug by the human body. For this, a sample of two milliliters of the solution is administered intramuscularly with further monitoring of local reactions.
“Actovegin” injections during pregnancy and lactation are prescribed only for health reasons. In pediatrics, the medicine is not used.
The drug in ampoules is perfectly combined with isotonic glucose solutions and sodium chloride. In addition to this compatibility, the drug does not interact with anything else.
How to store "Actovegin" in ampoules?
Injections must be kept away from sunlight, at a temperature not exceeding twenty-five degrees. The price of Actovegin ampoules is:
- injections of 2 milliliters (5 pieces) - 580 rubles;
- injections of 2 milliliters (10 ampoules) - from 790 to 870 rubles;
- injections of 5 milliliters (5 pieces) - from 550 to 670 rubles;
- injections of 5 milliliters (10 pieces) - from 1100 to 1300 rubles;
- injections of 10 milliliters (5 ampoules) - from 1050 to 1250 rubles.
Substitutes
The analogue of "Actovegin" in ampoules is the medicine "Solcoseryl" (injection).
Generic improves tissue repair processes, is effectively used for the pathogenetic treatment of various pathological conditions that are accompanied by a violation of cellular nutrition.
Solcoseryl, like Actovegin, has a yellowish tint. The solution is transparent, has the aroma of meat broth. The active ingredient is the same as the first drug - deproteinized dialysate from the blood of healthy dairy calves. An additional substance is water. Injections for parenteral administration are available in dark glass ampoules of two and five milliliters.
The analogue of Actovegin in ampoules is packaged in contour cells of five pieces. The package can contain from one to five cells, as well as instructions for use.
Action "Solcoseryl"
The drug has the following effects:
- It improves the condition of arterial vessels and microcirculation structures, which leads to an increase in blood flow saturation in the tissues.
- Increases glucose and oxygen uptake by cells.
- Enhances energy production in cells by improving the activity of the metabolic pathway.
- It adds the intensity of the process of synthesis of fibrillar protein, which is considered the main structural substance of the intercellular substance of tissues.
- Enhances tissue growth.
Indications for use are the same as in Actovegin.
Does Solcoseryl have contraindications?
There are several physiological conditions of the patient in which the introduction of the drug is prohibited:
- pregnancy;
- breast-feeding;
- individual intolerance;
- children's age of the patient (up to eighteen years old);
- hypersensitivity to the components that make up the drug.
Caution should be taken in people with renal failure. In addition, the medication is contraindicated in the patient's condition, when the level of potassium ions in the body rises (hyperkalemia). Also, the drug can not be used by people who have a violation of the rhythm of heart contractions (arrhythmia) and pulmonary edema.
How to apply "Solcoseryl"?
The solution is intended for intravenous administration, the dosage and mode of use of the drug depend on the indications for use:
- In case of traumatic brain injury, 10 milliliters must be administered intravenously drip for ten days.
- In chronic insufficiency of vein activity, the drug must be administered intravenously at 10 milliliters three times a week, the course of treatment should not exceed more than four weeks.
- When blocking the blood flow of peripheral arteries, it is recommended to administer 20 milliliters intravenously, the duration of therapy is at least one month.
Cost
The price of Actovegin ampoules is somewhat cheaper than that of Solcoseryl. The cost depends on the volume of injections and the number of ampoules in the package:
- injections of 2 milliliters (25 pieces) - from 1400 to 1500 rubles;
- injections of 5 milliliters (5 pieces) - from 800 to 900 rubles.
What is the difference between Actovegin and Solcoseryl?
It is difficult to answer the question of which is best of these two drugs, since they are analogues of each other. "Solcoseryl" has a longer shelf life - 5 years, the analogue - 3 years.
Is Actovegin effective in the treatment of diseases?
According to reviews, "Actovegin" in ampoules causes a positive impression in patients. People note a positive trend in the treatment of varicose veins, encephalopathy, an imbalance in vascular tone, and head injuries. Women who used Actovegin during pregnancy did not experience negative feelings and the medicine did not affect the development of the fetus. The drug during pregnancy is prescribed in the presence of placental insufficiency.
According to reviews and instructions for use, Actovegin ampoules improve microcirculation, help oxygen and glucose to penetrate into damaged areas of the body faster. The medication is well tolerated by patients, has no serious consequences and is used in the treatment of most known diseases. The drug works great with anabolism (the process of creating new substances, cells and body tissues).